Request for the enhancements to the Visualizer

[Ron Boyd]

Kudos Light-O-Rama for listening to your client base and soon, giving us a lot of the requests we have been asking for. That being said, I have a few requests for the visualizer.

 

There was utility that was created for the visualizer by Vfere863 (Victor) found in this post:   http://forums.lightorama.com/index.php?/topic/26528-rgb-pixel-utility/ and was a great addition to the tools some of us use. Although not supported by LOR, it made creating Non-LOR fixtures a breeze. There were a few enhancements made throughout Victor’s evolution of this utility, which is what I will mention in this post as a request for the Visualizer.

 

First, when creating non-LOR pixels in the Visualizer, each individual bulb is a single fixture. In my case, it became apparent that some things need tweaking. For example; a 16 leg x 50 pixel mega tree is 800 fixtures, over half of the current 1024 fixture limit. The CCR wizard creates 16 fixtures.

• Request # 1; when using the CCR wizard to create props, create checkbox choices for CCR or DMX and create the prop or fixture in whichever protocol the user chooses. This way, for the elements we use that are not CCRs, will react the same way to the visualizer. CCR props would act the same way they do now.

Second, for the ones of us using DMX Universes, we do not use channels 511 and 512 in a universe. During the Superstar evolution in 2013, Brian and I spoke of DMX. Since Superstar was written for CCRs, using DMX was something he never looked at. Brian e-mailed me and asked how DMX was used. Throughout our emails, I told him the same thing. When he created the DMX keywords for the visualizer and Superstar import, the system skips over those 2 channels and starts with the next universe if the string spans more than one Universe. The channel wizard does not do this. So, when a string does span more than one Universe, wherever it splits, it creates Universe 1 channel 511, Universe 1 channel 512 and then Universe 2 channel 1 for the same single pixel. Wherever that split is, each string that spans 2 universes, must be manually changed forward by 2 channels. Victor created this in his Utility, so it can be done.

• Request # 2; when using the Channel Wizard, add a checkbox for “E1.31 Compliant” and in the code, if this is checked, channels 511 and 512 at the end of the Universe will be eliminated.

And last, some folks are using pixel strings longer than 64 pixels. When creating props, only 64 fixtures are allowed per that prop. It would be nice to eliminate that restriction or enhance it to include more than the current 64 fixtures.

• Request #3; Allow more that 64 fixtures per prop for Mega Trees and Matrices, (the big props).

Again, Thank you LOR for giving us what I’m sure will be a fantastic software that will help out not only the non-pixel users, but us pixel users as well. I am eagerly awaiting the enhancements.

 

Regards,

Ron

Edited March 6, 2014 by Ron Boyd

[plasmadrive]

(snip)....

Second, for the ones of us using DMX Universes, we do not use channels 511 and 512 in a universe. During the Superstar evolution in 2013, Brian and I spoke of DMX. Since Superstar was written for CCRs, using DMX was something he never looked at. Brian e-mailed me and asked how DMX was used. Throughout our emails, I told him the same thing. When he created the DMX keywords for the visualizer and Superstar import, the system skips over those 2 channels and starts with the next universe if the string spans more than one Universe. The channel wizard does not do this. So, when a string does span more than one Universe, wherever it splits, it creates Universe 1 channel 511, Universe 1 channel 512 and then Universe 2 channel 1 for the same single pixel. Wherever that split is, each string that spans 2 universes, must be manually changed forward by 2 channels. Victor created this in his Utility, so it can be done.

• Request # 2; when using the Channel Wizard, add a checkbox for “E1.31 Compliant” and in the code, if this is checked, channels 511 and 512 at the end of the Universe will be eliminated.

And last, some folks are using pixel strings longer than 64 pixels. When creating props, only 64 fixtures are allowed per that prop. It would be nice to eliminate that restriction or enhance it to include more than the current 64 fixtures.

.....(snip)....

 

 Hey Ron,

 

I don't believe you can just eliminate 511 and 512 and remain USITT  compliant.   I am thinking that is something we are just going to have to deal with as users of the software. 

 

Or... they would have to have the checkbox that says for "non compliant" perhaps.. Perhaps they could automatically add blank dummies for those channels if "checked"  but they are phantom to the GUI...

Just a thought..

 

Craig

 

[Ron Boyd]

Plasma, you do realize I'm only asking if it can be done for the "Channel Wizard" only. Some protocols allow splitting g universe within the 3 channels for a single pixel. My example would be on a 16 leg pixel tree with 50 pixels per leg, somewhere in there the universe changes over at pixel 10. So at "11there are 3 channels that need to be adjusted and then 39 more at 3 channels each. That's a lot of tweaking. Blank dummy channels, may work. The main point is, to make things smoother and easier to create a stage for your light show. Creating my pixel tree took about 30 minutes. Easy. Channel config took at least that long again. When you have 3-4strings that need to be tweaked, it takes a few minutes.

Also, it can be done. The utility that Victor created did it. Vegomatic does it for the sequence editor too

Edited March 6, 2014 by Ron Boyd

[plasmadrive]

Plasma, you do realize I'm only asking if it can be done for the "Channel Wizard" only. Some protocols allow splitting g universe within the 3 channels for a single pixel. My example would be on a 16 leg pixel tree with 50 pixels per leg, somewhere in there the universe changes over at pixel 10. So at "11there are 3 channels that need to be adjusted and then 39 more at 3 channels each. That's a lot of tweaking. Blank dummy channels, may work. The main point is, to make things smoother and easier to create a stage for your light show. Creating my pixel tree took about 30 minutes. Easy. Channel config took at least that long again. When you have 3-4strings that need to be tweaked, it takes a few minutes. Also, it can be done. The utility that Victor created did it. Vegomatic does it for the sequence editor too

Hey Ron,

 

Nope.. I did not realize you were only asking about the "Channel Wizard" and not the actual output.. Must have miss understood, sorry..   So this would only be an internal setup thing on the "Channel Wizard"....

 

 I was unaware of this because even though I have a 24 CCR lic, I still have yet to use the SS part of the program because it was not very intuitive for me personally.. so now I understand what you are asking for...    I do realize the problem and I understand why you want it..  and I agree that it would sure be easier....

 

Thanks for the clarification! 

[Ron Boyd]

I guess I did not explain it well enough in the OP. Yes, it would only be for the "Channel Wizard". Thanks for pointing it out. maybe it will be clearer now.

 

I have a question for you now, if I may. What is "USITT compliant"?

[plasmadrive]

"Developed by the Engineering Commission of United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), the DMX512 standard (For "Digital Multiplex with 512 pieces of information"^[2]) was created in 1986, with subsequent revisions in 1990 leading to USITT DMX512/1990".

 

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMX512

 

They developed the actual standard.  

 

When we made DMX decoder/driver boards back in the day, we had to make sure we followed the standard, unlike some of the imported "DMX" fixtures that you can get now. 

[Ron Boyd]

Cool. Thanks for sharing. I guess if I had have done a search, I could have had this info prior to asing the question.

 

Later

 

Edit: Just read through the article. A bit technical for my feeble mind, but also quite informative.

Edited March 6, 2014 by Ron Boyd

[Vince4xmas]

Can't get Visualizer to display any objects.

Followed tutorial and believe I have everything setup correctly.

Any suggestions?

[Ron Boyd]

Can't really help out for lack of info. If you don't mind, you can send me a copy of your visualizer file and a sequence you're trying to use and I'll be happy to look at it. I'll PM my email address.

[Vince4xmas]

Restarted windows 8 and all is well!

 

Thanks